This paper emphasizes the importance of border areas in terms of their geographic and economic resources within the global development of Colombia and the little attention that this problem has had throughout its history. A general characterization of the guidelines of the foreign policy of this country is carried out, to then point out the most relevant features of its international work, dividing it into four periods that span from 1914 to 1988. It is established that from the sixties the foreign relations and the alignment with the United States is terminated; But it was only in the eighties that border development was promoted. The border issue is specifically analyzed later in the periods of Betancur Cuartas (1982-1986) and Barco Vargas (1986-1990).